Sanitary guard for telephones.



s; B. PLORSHEIM SANITARY GUARD FOR TELEPHONES.

Patented July 20, 1 909.

APPLICATION FILED APBJS, 1909.

Mame J SIDNEY E. FLORSHEIM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SANITARY GUARl) FORTELEPHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented. July 20, 1909.

Application filed April 5, 1909. Serial No. 487,925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY E. FLonsnEIM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain newand useful Improvements in Sanitary Guards forTelephones, of which the following is a speci .fication.

standard construction, and which, when applied, will serve to protectthe user against contamination or infection. The guard,

furthermore, is so constructed that it will not in any way interferewiththe distinctness of speech transmitted through the telephone, butrather will serve to soften and improve the quality of the vocal tonestransn'iitted.

The guard is so constructed'that it may be disinfected from time totime, or perfumed, in order to counteract any disagreeable or dangerousodors or germs which. may be present in the mouth piece of thetelephone, thereby contributing to the comfort as well as the safety ofthe telephone user.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationof parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elcvation of a telephone mouthpiece with a guard applied thereto; Fig. 2 a plan View of the guard; andFig. 3 a sectional elevation, showing the same folded and housed withinaching 6 which is adapted to engage the annular flaring edge 7 of thetelephone mouth. piece 8, as indicated in Fig. 1. The diameter of theinner portion 9 of the mouth piece is somewhat less than its outerportion, the side pieces of the tele hone guard lying adjacent to thecurved si e walls 10 of the telephone mouth. piece. The bottom wall 11of this sanitary guard has a number of openings or perforations 12formed therein, and are of sufficient number and size as not to impedethe sound transmitted thcrethrough.

For practical purposes, th improved sanitary guard may be of convenientsize and shape to iit into a box or closure 13, which {ran be carried inthe users pocket or hand- In use, when the sanitar guard is removed.from the box or closure, t 1e collapsible elastic body of the guard maybe extended so as to permit its inner perforated cndll to lie in closeproximity to the lower cross wall of the mouth piece, its outer enlargedreinforced edge (5 contacting and positively engaging the outer flaringrim or edge 7 of the telephone mouthpiece 8. i

'lhissanitary. guard is preferably made from rubber or other similarelastic collapsible material, which can be readily washed.

or cleaned without injuring it, thus making the device sanitary in everyrespect.

Experience has shown the desirability of making this sanitary guard fromred rubber or other suitable colored rubber or elastic material, whichwill readily show any dirt, dust or impurities on its surface, so thatthe gun rd may be cleansed when necessary.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sanitar tele hone guard formed from elastic co lapsib e material,the outer enlarged portion of the mud being reinforced for engagementwit 1 the edge of the tele phone mouth piece, and the bottom wall of theguard normally lying in close proxim ity to the inner cross wall of thetelephone month piece, substantially. as described.

2. A sanitary Itele hone guard formed from elastic collapsib 0 material,the outer enlarged portion of theguard being reinforced for engagementwith the edge of the telephone mouth piece, the bottom wall of the guardnormally lying in close proximit to the inn or cross wall of thetelephone moutli piece, and the side walls of the guard conforming tothe general curvature and alinemcnt of the telephone mouthpiece, forfacilitating the transmission of sound, substantially as described.

3. A sanitary telephone guard formed SIDNEY E. FLORSHEIM.

Witnesses:

WALKER BANNING, VPIERSON W. BANNING.

from elastic collapsible material, capable, of being continuallycleansed Without impairing its utility, the outer enlarged portion ofthe guard bein reinforced for enge ement with 5 the edge 0' thetelephone mout piece, and the bottom Wall of the guard 1 ing in closeproximity to the inner cross we 1 of the tele-

